Jennifer Lang, Director of Program Communications
It has been a severe dry season in rural Haiti, where Hope for Haiti partners with two communities as models of holistic development. In an area where 60 percent of households live in extreme poverty, small-scale agriculture is the largest form of work.
“We have been waiting for the rains to come before planting the fields,” noted local resident Marguerith Borsa. “Last season’s banana, rice and corn plants have all dried up.”
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| The well rig finally arrived. | Truck pulling in. |
A seventy-one year old beekeeper, Gustave Sully, reflected on the problem. “The land just doesn’t produce right now.”
The drought has had a real impact. One partner school director noted that an estimated 30 percent of students have not been able to pay their full tuition. And a community well, the only source of potable water in this area, has completely dried up.
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| Beekeeper Gustave with Hope for Haiti Deputy Country Director Paula Prince. |
The well rig begins digging. |
Thankfully, with the support of GoDaddy and The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, Hope for Haiti has been able to intervene. Our Education Program supports teacher salary subsidies and classroom materials, enabling school directors the flexibility to allow qualified students to attend without paying their fees. And, our School Lunch and Reforestation programs are encouraging a healthy local economy by teaching best agricultural practices, supporting farmers, purchasing crops, and feeding hungry students.
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| Hope for Haiti staff happily receive the truck. |
Kindergartners happy after school lunch. |
Additionally, we are excited to announce Hope for Haiti was recently able to contract a well-digging firm to fix the community well.
Attached, please find photos of the huge well-digging truck arriving at the community school. This truck drove from Les Cayes, the closest major city, where Hope for Haiti is based – sometimes using riverbeds as roads! We’ll be sure to share an update and post photos when we finally get the well water running again!
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| School lunch cook wearing GoDaddy hat. |
Marguerith Borsa thanks you. |